"No matter where you are in the world, barriers exist which prevent teenagers from receiving trustworthy information about sex and contraception, which is probably why myths and misconceptions remain so widespread even today," says WCD task force member Denise Keller.

"When young people have access to contraceptive information and services, they can make choices that affect every aspect of their lives which is why it's so important that accurate and unbiased information is easily available for young people to obtain," says Keller.

The survey, commissioned by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and endorsed by 11 international non-governmental organisations, questioned more than 6000 young people from 29 countries including Chile, Poland and China, on their attitudes towards sex and contraception.

The campaigners say the level of unplanned pregnancies particularly among young people is a major global issue - 41 per cent of the 208 million pregnancies that occur each year are unplanned.

They add the rise in unprotected sex in several countries has sparked concern about the quality of sex education available to youngsters. More than 40 per cent of Australian, Mexican and Swedish respondants said they have had sex with an unprotected partner, compared to 50 per cent in China, Norway and Korea and 62 per cent in Thailand.

In Europe, only half of respondents receive sex education from school, compared to three quarters across Latin America, Asia Pacific and the USA.

Many respondents also said that they felt too embarrassed to ask a healthcare professional for contraception.

"What young people are telling us is that they are not receiving enough sex education or the wrong type of information about sex and sexuality," says Jennifer Woodside, a spokeswoman for the International Planned Parenthood Federation .

Lack of knowledge, empowerment

"The results show that too many young people either lack good knowledge about sexual health, do not feel empowered enough to ask for contraception or have not learned the skills to negotiate contraceptive use with their partners to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies or STIs (sexually transmitted infections)," she says.

Many respondents who reported not using contraceptives said they didn't know which method to use (Latin America 23 per cent, Asia Pacific 22 per cent), or did know where to get it from (France 36 per cent, Australia 24 per cent).

More than a third of respondents in Egypt believe bathing or showering after sex will prevent pregnancy, and more than a quarter of those in Thailand and India believe that having intercourse during menstruation is an effective form of contraception.

But the fact that many young people engage in unprotected sex and the prevalence of harmful myths should not come as a surprise, says Woodside.

"How can young people make decisions that are right for them and protect them from unwanted pregnancy and STIs, if we do not empower them and enable them to acquire the skills they need to make those choices?" she says.